Why does my kitten cover her food like she's in a litter box?

Congratulations on your new kitten Una! Since Una is a picky eater, you may want to buy food from pet stores that offer a money back offer for food if a pet doesn't like it. I believe Petsmart may offer such a policy but you should double check that. Foods I have found that pets tend to like are Royal Canin and Purina ProPlan. Offer canned and dry as the variety may help encourage eating. Best of luck and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

It may be something frightened him in the new location and he is looking for a safer option. I recommend having a second litter tray in the room he prefers as a back up. Trays should be in a quiet, undisturbed location, not near noisy or unpredictable things such as washing machines. A calming supplement can help also and it is important to encourage frequent, stress free urination by facilitating his preferred options to reduce the risk of urinary tract inflammation and irritation

I have seen my cats do this as well. There are a couple of reasons why Kooner may do this. It could be that she doesn't like the litter itself, so she doesn't scratch at it to cover her feces. It could be that she doesn't like the box itself, so she wants to leave it as soon as possible. She may also never learned to cover it up when she's done. As long as she is actually going in the box, it's really a non-issue that she doesn't cover up after she is done. I would not recommend changing her box or her litter, as cats are extremely particular about this box and litter, and changing it could stop her from using the litter box completely. I would not worry about it, and leave it be.

It may take your new kitten time to get used to her new surroundings. Try keeping her in a smaller area, like a bathroom, with her littler box and food/water. Being in closer proximity to them may encourage her to eat and use the box. You may also want to try offering her canned kitten food, as opposed to kibble. This may encourage her to eat more. When she does eventually defecate, if it is outside of the box, place the stool inside the box to help her learn where to go. If these tips are not working and your kitten is still refusing to eat or drink, you may want to consider taking her in to the vet to be checked out. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. This sounds behavioral and will likely go away over time. However, in the meantime while the behavior is occurring, I would recommend switching the type of litter or even consider spraying bitter apple onto the litter itself. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Many cats will exhibit this behavior. It's instinctual to cover up any left over food. This 'hides' it from other creatures who may eat it so that the cat can come back later to eat the remainder of the food. Even though Ricco is domesticated, he still has those instincts. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

The close up vision of cats is much weaker than their long distance vision and so, when they are right at their water dish, they can’t see the water level. In order to check where the water starts – or if there is even any water in the dish – they will move it to cause the water to ripple and splash. Once they are satisfied they know where the water is, then they will commence their drinking. That is my best guess. If you are not happy with this change in behavior you could always get her a drinking fountain to drink from. Most cats prefer to drink from running water so this may help. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/cat/cat-feeding-supplies/cat-waterers-fountains-and-accessories/catit-flower-cat-water-fountain )